Antitheft-lock for automobiles



T. W. IRVING.

ANTITHEFT LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.30,1920.

Patented Du.27, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

v 'T. W. IRVING.

ANTITHEFT LOOK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 30, 1920.

1 4 1 335 Patented Dec.- 27, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W T. w. IRVING. ANTITHEFT LOOK FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED MAR.30. 1920. 1,401,335.-

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PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS WILLIAM IRVING, 0F ASPA'IBIA, ENGLAND.

AN'II'IHEFT-LOCK FOB AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2'7, 1921.

Application filed March so, 1920. Serial in. 369,985.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS WILLIAM Invmo, a subject of the Kin of Great Britain and Ireland and a resident of Aspatria, county of (lumberland, England, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Antitheft-Locks for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an anti-theft lock for automobiles, and more particularly to a lock of that type adapted to secure the steering rod against manipulation to prevent unauthorized use of the car.

To that end the invention has particularly in view a combination locking device for engaging and holding the steering rod in such a manner that it cannot be turned without knowing the combination of the lock and which is adapted to be installed on the steering column, within convenient access to the dmyer, whereby the steering rod may be easlly and quickly locked when the driver leaves the machine to ard against theft, and on the other han easily and quickly unlocked by the proper parties to permit the usual manipulation of the steering gear.

A further object of the invention is to royide a deviceof the character set forth avmg means for also looking the power rods of the machine which in most cases constitute art of the steering column, bein housed wit in the casing of the column a jacent to the steering rod.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts heremafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed. 1

Although the invention is susceptible of embodiment in different forms of constructlon, a preferred and practical example thereof 1s shown in the accompanying drawin which,-

Figure 1 is aside elevation of the device mounted on the steering rod or tube of a motor car, the bolt and symbol rings being omitted. r

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, showing bolt and rings.

Fig, 3 is a section on the line III-III in 2, the bolt end being shown protruding through the section.

1. a 4 a a hpriz e a a t e 0.1. the lin IV-IV in Fig. 2, the symbol disks being omitted.

F ig. 5 is a similar section on the line V-V in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the sleeve member and casing.

Fig. 7 is a detail plan View of the bolt.

Figs. 8 and 9 are elevation and plan respectively of the toothed wheel on the steering rod.

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic View of the arrangement of springs in same.

Fig. 11 is a detail of the spring shown in Fig. 3; and,

Fig. 12 shows that enlargement on one of the side central rods which receives the looking detent.

Referring to the drawings, I pass the bolt 1 through the bore of a casing 2 extending from a chambered sleeve member 3 and arranged at right angles to the axis of this member. The upper part 2 of the casing 2 engages the lower part by means of a lip 2". The sleeve member is securedto the sheath or tube 4, 4 wherein the steering tube 5 runs, the sheath, however, being cut away at the chamber in the sleeve. The ends of the two separated portions of the steering tube 4, 4 may be threaded as shown to be engaged by the internally threaded sleeve member 3, suitable means such as rivets, pins or grub screws being provided, if necessary, for making the joints sure.

The bore for the bolt 1. extends from the casing 2 into the chamber 5 in the sleeve member, and this chamber contans a toothed wheel 6 mounted on the steering tube. In the casing 2 is arranged the combination lock, the bolt 1 of which is provided at one end with a detent 7 for engaging the teeth of the said toothed wheel, and at the other end, or end projecting from the lock casing, with a knob 8 for manipulating the bolt whereby it may be caused to engage or disengage the toothed wheel 6.

Any suitable combination lock may be employed. I prefer to use symbol disks 9, each provided with a keyway 10 and running over a crescent-like U-section sleeve 11 screwed tightly at 12 into the bore of the lock casing and secured by a screw 11'. The bolt, Fig. 3, has a key-like pro'ection to fit any keyway 10 in the disks. hen, therefore the keyways in the disks are alined, the t m y ov f e l in as axial direction.

I allow lugs 18, Fig. 7 on the key-like proection of the bolt to run in annular grooves 14 within the rings. The lock casing is open at the top, Fig. 3, to exhibit the symbol rings within it, and at the bottom to facilitate manipulation of them by the fingers.

To allow the detent 7 to engage the toothed wheel 6, whiehhas pointed teeth with V- grooves between, Fig. 9, I may give the toothed wheel a limited circumferential movement on the steering tube. To do this the toothed wheel has a flange with circumferentially elongated holes therein, Figs. 8 and 10, these being engaged by pins 15, 15 in the steering tube. The V-shaped detent 7 thus finds a place between the teeth in practically every position of the starting tube, the limited movement allowed to the latter when locked being of course too small to allow operation of the car or other vehicle. To keep the pins 15-15' normally clear of the ends of their slots, the pin 15 is engaged by a spring 20, Figs. 8 and 10, the ends 21 of which enter holes in the ends of the very long slot through which pin 15 passes. The resilient effect of each half of spring 20 is so balanced that pins 15, 15 remain normally clear of the ends of their slots.

To save space, the operating knob 8, Fig. 2, at the end of the bolt is hinged to the latter at 16, and may be turned at right angles 'to engage the lock casing cover and be held by a spring clip 17.

To steady the rings I provide fine teeth 18 on their peripheries, these teeth engaging flat springs 19, Figs. 3 and 11, projecting inwardly in the bore of the lock casing. The fine teeth 18 serve also for manipulation of the rings.

The lock casing is conveniently arranged near the steering wheel so that manipulation by the driver is easy.

The device is operated thus :\V hen it is desired to lock the steering gear, the symbols are correctly set and the bolt is pushed in,

whereby the V-shaped detent 7 enga es the toothed wheel 6 on the steering tube 0. The symbol rings 9 are then disarranged, whereby the bolt 1 is locked. lie-arrangement of the rings frees the bolt when desired.

In the embodiment illustrated, the sleeve member 3 has two extensions 3 which constitute additional sleeve elements through which pass control rods for the engine, which rods sometimes (as in cars of the Ford pattern) are mounted alongside the steering rod. These control rods 5, 5, Figs. 1, 6 and 12, maybe the petrol feed and accelerator rods.

3 For a reason hereinafter explained, there 1S usually no need for a toothed wheel (such as 6) to be mounted on these side rods 5'.

Instead of this I provide each rod with an enlargement 6, Figs. I and 12, wherein is provided a notch o engageable by a detent 7 pivoted to the bolt 1 by means of a shouldered screw The arms 23 hearing the detents 7 are each half cut away below the head of screw 22 and so constitute overlapping eyes 33, Fig. 9 under this head.

I will now describe the regulators through which the arms are seen to pass, Figs. 1 and 5. Briefly, each regulator consists of a sliding socket 3 1, whose position is governed by a wheel-screw 35 upon the outside of the c: sing and acts as a guide for the arms or wings 23 which lock the petrol and accelerator rods. The wings .25 move freely upon the aforesaid pin 22, screwed into the head of the bolt 1 and move upward and outward with the locking of the steering wheel, sliding through apertures 36 in the regulators. their detents 7 penetrating into the V-shaped cavities (3 in the enlarged portion of the rods 6.

The movement of this regulating socket is very small indeed, it being so designed as to permit only of a limited supply of petrol escaping, which said supply is, while sullicient in itself for engine motion, insullicient to start the car.

The operation of the wings 2 is as foL lows \Vith the locking or forward thrust of the steering wheel bolt, the wing points move forward and outward, sliding through the regulator apertures 36, which act as guides, into the V-shaped cavities (3 in the enlarged portion of the rods 6. They enthese cavities only when the steering wheel is locked, and are withdrawn clear of the rotary action of the rods, sin'lultaneously with and upon the withdrawal of the steering wheel bolt 1, as seen in Fig. 5. Fig. i is an illustration of the bolt and wings in the locked position, which wings have penetrated the cavities in the side rods.

There is not the need for a toothed wheel (as (j) on the side rods, for only in the position to take the wing points 7 will it be necessary to lock the steering wheel, for no car is left standing alone, save with the engine stopped or running very slowly, and in this case the cavities in the spindles are then in a position to receive the wing points. \Ve will suppose, for example, that we take a Ford car to illustrate this, which car is of one of the many patterns with the arrangement of three rods side by side. As the amount of petrol necessary to run the engine alone varies with the perfection of the oints and the age of the car, I allow the maximum movement of the regulators accordingly, as also the space of the rod cavities. Supposing then that it takes this maximum supply of petrol which I have allowed, to run the free engine of this particular F 0rd, the regulators would have to be screwed the limited distance of one eighth of an inch, whereby a space 37 in the rods would be created which would then permit of a limited rotary movement of the petrol rod or lever, consequently, though securely locked against a supply necessary to lift the car, the quantity sufficient to run the free engine is thus permitted to escape, or, should the driver be so desirous, he may turn the petrol completely off without unlocking or alteration of the regulators. With the regulators then in this assumed permanent position. though said regulators should be of great advantage to the driver, inasmuch as the restarting of a somewhat or completely cold engine after a brief absence would be obviated, such advantage will be useless to a thief, as any attempt to throw in the clutch (should he steer the car) would result in an immediate stoppage of the engine altogether.

I claim 1. A locking device of the class described including in combination with the steering column casing having the steering rod and spark and gas rods therein, of means carried by the casing and includin a main locking bolt shiftable radially with reference to the steering rod for enga ing and disengaging the same to prevent re ative rotation thereof, and separate locking elements carried by the locking bolt for engaging with the said spark and gas rods.

2. A locking device of the class described including in combination with the steering column casing having the steering rod and spark and gas rods therein, of means carried by the casing including a main locking bolt adapted to shift radially with reference to the longitudinal axis of a steering column and adapted to have a locking engagement therewith, and a pair of locking detents pivotally carried by the main looking bolt and having their keeper ends adapted to engage with the spark and gas rods.

3. A locking device of the class described including in combination with the steering column casing having the steering rod and spark and gas rods therein, of means carried by the casing includin 'a main locking bolt adapted to shift radially with reference to the longitudinal axis of a steering column and adapted to have a locking engagement therewith, a pair of locking detents pivot-ally carried by the main locking bolt and havlng their keeper ends adapted to engage with the spark and gas rods, and means for shifting said keeper ends of said detents laterally.

4. A locking device of the class described including the combination with a steering column including a casing, and the steering rod and spark and gas rods housed therein, of a locking bolt adapted to be manually shifted radially with reference to the axis of the steering rod to engage therewith, and means carried by the locking bolt and adapted to be shifted in a plane substantially tangential to the steering column for engaging with and locking the spark and gas rods.

5. A locking device of the class described including the combinationwith the steering column casing having the steering rod, and spark and gas rods housed therein, of keeper means carried by the steering rod, keeper elements carried by the spark and gas rods, a manually shiftable locking bolt supported to shift radially with reference to the axis of the steering column whereby its keeper end may be shifted into and out of engagement with the keeper means thereon, and a pair of detents pivoted on a common axis on the shiftable locking bolt disposed in opposite directions whereby their keeper ends may have a locking engagement with the keeper elements carried by the spark and gas rods.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature hereto this 1st day of March, 1920.

THOMAS WILLIAM IRVING. 

